The former Royal British Legion club in Margate has been withdrawn from an auction taking place tomorrow (June 12).
The property at 18 St Johns Road has planning permission to convert the upper floors into four self-contained flats.
It was being offered with a freehold guide price of £390-420,000.
The sale of a plot of land next to 2 Northdown Road has also been postponed.
The 0.01 acre (0.005 hectare) plot had a freehold guide price of £10-15,000.
Going under the hammer
Fort Road Hotel
Up for auction tomorrow (June 12) is The Fort Road Hotel in Margate.
The former Fort Castle pub is being marketed for a guide price of £180,000.
Last year Thanet council agreed to put the property on the open market after 22 years of it laying empty.
The hotel was compulsorily purchased by the authority in May 2010. Initial plans for the site were for a boutique hotel.
In 2011 more than 20 informal enquiries from developers, hotel owners and architects were made to TDC in relation to the property. A planning application to turn it from bedsits to a hotel was granted with the aim of linking its regeneration to Turner Contemporary.
In a TDC report at the time it stated: “The Fort Road Hotel (previously the Fort Castle Public House) is one of the last surviving buildings in the area today that the artist JMW Turner would recognise. Turner spent 15 years ‘weekending’ in Margate with Sophia Booth (whose house was opposite) and, as a noted drinker, it seems inconceivable that he did not visit the establishment.”
The property is listed on maps of Margate going back to 1821, although it may be older.
TDC also installed a neon advertisement on the roof proclaiming ‘Iconic Site’ and said plans were for it to be turned into: “as a small, twenty-first century character hotel with up to twelve rooms and a restaurant; which would help address the shortfall of quality hotel accommodation in Margate.”
But although a formal advert was published in October 2011 and 30 application packs for the project were sent out, none were returned to the council.
A mixed use hotel and restaurant scheme was drawn up by Guy Holloway Architects but TDC decided it was not suitable.
At a council meeting in April 2015 it was decided that the building should be converted into social housing flats.
The social housing plan also failed to get off the ground.
A decision to put the property on the council’s asset disposal list was made last October.
105 High Street, Margate
Also up for offers is 105 High Street in Margate, a substantial three storey property with a mini market and off licence operating from the ground floor with residential accommodation above.
The auctioneer says there might be the potential to extend the rear of the building as long as all necessary consents are obtainable.
The freehold guide price is £190,000-plus.
124 Northdown Road
Another lot is 124 Northdown Road in Margate, a terraced property with four flats that are currently let at £22,240.04 per annum.
The freehold guide price for the building is £300,000-plus.
22 High Street, Margate
A commercial investment at 22 High Street, Margate, is also going under the hammer.
It is thought that it might have the potential to be extended, as long as all necessary consents are obtainable.
Currently it is let at £12,500 per annum to a private tenant on a 10 year fully repairing lease from this year. The freehold guide price is £180-185,000.
Harold Road, Margate
A two bedroom flat – Flat 3 – at 44 Harold Road, Cliftonville is also on offer. It is let at £3,900 per annum and has the remainder of a 99-year lease from 1986. The guide price is £60-65,000.
Queens Avenue, Ramsgate
A further lot is a three bedroom house at 7 Queens Avenue in Ramsgate. The three bedroom property is in need of improvement and has a freehold guide price of £160-170,000.
Park Place, Margate
Also at the sale is a plot of land next to 2 Park Place in Margate. It extends to 0.02 acres (0.01 hectares) and has a freehold guide price of £10,000-plus.
The sale is being held at the Clive Emson Conference Centre, Kent County Showground, Detling, on Tuesday 12 June, starting at 11am.
